Recently there has been a huge debacle in the media about African American actors and actresses boycotting the Oscars, because they feel they do not get recognition that is rightfully deserved to them as their counter parts do. However, an even bigger debacle that outraged the black community derived from the comments of former Clueless star Stacy Dash. During an interview on Fox News, Dash was asked her opinion on the subject of the Oscars and the decision to boycott, saying, “We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration. And if we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard.” Dash even went as far as to recommend we not have a Black History Month.

As an African American I was completely infuriated and outraged. Her comments where ignorant and completely ridiculous. The reason awards like the BET Awards, the Image Awards and the Country Music Awards were even created was because not all communities were being recognized for their outstanding achievements in the industry, whether it is music or film. It was also comical to me that she wanted to shut down he BET Awards and BET, because they were responsible for her debut. The comment that ignited me the most was when she had the audacity to request we should get rid of Black History Month. Again, the whole reason Black History Month was created was because in school people only focused on historic events that contained Caucasian men and women. Since history contained events not only of Caucasians, but of African Americans and other minorities as well, Black History Month was created to help tell the whole story.

I was not the only person who had the same attitude and view point on the subject. “Being Mary Jane” star Gabrielle Union had something to say about the subject. “If you don’t see yourself reflected in mainstream awards, you tend to create your own, the more that we focus on inclusion and a true representation of this country, I think that crazy lady will have less to say,”

I completely agree with Union, Dash is very crazy. Gabrielle Union wasn’t only star that voiced her opinion about Dash. Dash”s cousin Damon Dash had something to say about his cousin’s comments. “I bet if she was getting nominated for Oscars and she was doing an abundance of movies, I doubt she would be on Fox doing those interviews.” In response to Dash’s request to get rid of BET and the BET Awards, the network took to social media asking Dash to give them their money back for the films and shows she starred in on the network. They even went as far as to run a marathon containing all the rerun episodes and music videos Dash starred in on the network with the hash tag #NeverForget.

In reference to her comment about the abolition of Black History Month, Dash demanded an apology and said she was backing up Morgan Freeman’s push to end Black History Month. “If you’re going to call me ignorant, stupid and an Uncle Tom, you need to be intellectually honest and also call out Freeman. It’s time we decide as a society whether we want to care about race or not. Like Freeman says, there is no White History Month and there should be no Black History Month. Black history IS American history.… You want racial healing and reconciliation? You want true equality? Listen to Freeman – Stop. Talking. About. Race.” I agree that Black history is American history, but when most of the Americans in America refuse to integrate those pieces of history into the learning and knowledge of our country, we figure out another way.

All of Dash’s comments, request and justifications of the actions and words, prove just how uneducated and hypocritical she really is. The only thing I agree with is the idea that instead of just talking about the injustice and mistreatment our community is shown, we need to stand up and do something about it. Whether its boycotting the Oscars or writing a letter to legislators, we need to take a stand and fight for our equality. Dr. King, Rosa Parker, Malcolm X they all started the journey and made things happen for the black community now its our turn to continue it and prosper in the process. Our future is in our hands, take a stand.

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Comments (1)

In 1970 I was a Social Studies teacher at a NYC High School. Black Students demonstrated demanding Black History and Black Literature classes.
The Principal decided to offer 1 class of each per semester as an elective..
Of the 35 teachers in the Social Studies Department, I was to only Black. The Dept. Head brought up the issue at a meeting and some of the other SS teachers said “There is no such thing as Black History”. They had never learned anything about it, therefore it did not exist.
That has been the ongoing problem in Education. It is incomplete and heavily edited to be comfortable for the people in charge – Whites. White edited history omits and avoids lots of issues Whites don’t want to acknowledge, maybe because they don’t want to correct the mess caused by 400 years of abuse. Many are married to their money and their myths.

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